Million pound award makes sweet music

Enfield’s thriving school music service can now continue to offer opportunities for all children to learn a musical instrument at school thanks to a successful bid to the Arts Council for £1.2million.

This money
is a boost to the Enfield Arts Support Service (EASS) recognising its
outstanding reputation as the leading music education organisation in
the borough. And now with this funding over 13,000 children stand to
gain a first class music education.

Cllr Ayfer
Orhan, cabinet member for schools and children’s services, said, “Over
the years, Enfield Council has supported the service which has not only
given enormous pleasure to children, but also discovered some superb
talent among young children two of whom won scholarships to prestigious
music schools last year.

“This bid
will help us to maintain this excellent service where children learn to
appreciate music in all its diverse forms and thoroughly enjoy it.”

EASS
manager, Kim Hember, said, “We now have sufficient funding for the next
three years and will be the music education hub for all kinds of
musical development for children and young people in Enfield.

“To be
successful our bid had to fulfil the national vision ‘ …. to enable
children from all backgrounds and every part of England to have the
opportunity to learn a musical instrument, to make music with others,
to learn to sing and to have the opportunity to progress to the next
level of excellence.’”

EASS has
an ambitious music education programme with opportunities for whole
class learning and performance on clarinets, saxophones, trumpets,
violins, and drums – indeed most orchestral and jazz instruments.

But that
is not all – the service also develops an interest in music and
composers, introduces children to great orchestral works, traditional
folk music from many lands, jazz, pop and opera.

Singing
and performance form a big part of the plans and schools are brought
together collaborating on choral works and special performances at
national venues.

Making
music and learning about it has great educational and social value and
the service will be working with all schools and partner organisations
to provide the best opportunities for children and young people in the
borough.